Head Brewer Nick Calaway at the Ahnapee Brewery tap room in Algoma.

Written by

Eric Christenson
For Press-Gazette Media

"We make about 70 gallons every time we brew, so there's more booyah at the church picnic than I have for one batch," said head brewer Nick Calaway.

Ahnapee is an offshoot of Von Stiehl Winery, but it's also a precursor. When von Stiehl was first built in 1868, it was Ahnapee Brewery, a sizable brewery on the shores of the Ahnapee River, which pours into Lake Michigan a few blocks east. The winery's owners, Brad and Eric Schmiling, are descendants of the brewery's originator, Henry Schmiling. ...